Trump’s criminal lawyers join the administration: What you need to know about them

Topline

President-elect Donald Trump has appointed three lawyers — Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and Dean John Sauer — to serve in his next administration after defending him in court and rewarding his personal lawyers with government roles after his election, which at the is about to kill the most people. of his criminal cases.

Key facts

How did the lawyers fare in representing Trump?

Blanche was the lead lawyer representing Trump in his hush money trial earlier this year, where the lawyer received a mixed reception even as the jury ultimately found Trump guilty. Blanche was praised during his cross-examination of ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen for seemingly catching Cohen off guard by showing evidence indicating that a phone call Cohen claimed to have had with Trump about the hush money payment in question was actually about a completely different issue . , as lyrics suggested, Cohen actually called Trump’s bodyguard to discuss being pranked by a 14-year-old. The lawyer was also rebuked by Judge Juan Merchan when he tried to argue that Trump had not violated the gag order against him, with Merchan telling Blanche he was “losing all credibility with the court.” The other two federal cases against Trump involving Blanche and Bove are expected to end without a trial before Trump takes office. While Trump’s appeal in the Carroll case is still pending, Sauer’s argument on Trump’s behalf led to a Supreme Court ruling in the ex-president’s favor, declaring him immune from at least some criminal charges. An appeals court ruled against Trump after Sauer debated immunity there, however, and the lawyer made waves during both court hearings when he suggested that former presidents should be immune from prosecution even if they kill political rivals.

Surprising fact

Blanche was a registered Democrat before representing Trump, according to The New York Times — he has since registered as a Republican — and the Financial Times reports that he “shed a tear” when Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election to Trump.

Big number

$9.9 million. That’s how much Trump has paid as of Oct. 16 to the Blanche and Bove law firm, Blanche Law, and to Sauer’s firm, James Otis Law Group, based on federal documents from Trump’s Save America PAC, which is handling his legal bills. However, it is unclear how much he paid each lawyer individually as these figures include other lawyers in those firms.

Tangent

Another personal Trump lawyer, Alina Habba, would be a top candidate for White House press secretary as Habba has become an outspoken defender of the ex-president in the media. Habba denied those reports Thursday, tweeting: “While I love shouting from a stage, I will be better served in other capacities.”

Important background

Trump has begun appointing a slew of officials to top positions in his administration after winning the election last week. The president-elect’s announcement to bring his criminal defense attorneys into the government came after Trump picked former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to lead the DOJ as attorney general, sparking widespread criticism even among some Republican lawmakers . Others Trump has named so far in his administration include controversial picks such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health, Fox News host Pete Hegseth as head of the Defense Department and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence. , along with more expected choices, such as campaign manager Susie Wiles serving as Trump’s White House chief of staff. Trump rewarded his personal lawyers as his legal issues have fallen by the wayside in the wake of his election victory — at least in his criminal cases — with his two federal cases about to end as the DOJ tries to comply with a long-standing precedent against the prosecution of sitting presidents. Trump’s criminal prosecution in Georgia for attempting to overturn the 2020 election will also likely be stayed until he leaves office, and although Trump has already been convicted in the Manhattan case, he has successfully secured his conviction to postpone. Proceedings in that case have now been halted while prosecutors figure out how to proceed in light of Trump’s election. However, Trump’s upcoming presidency will not remove him from his civil cases, and the president-elect’s appeals of rulings against him in Carroll’s two defamation cases and the civil fraud trial against Trump and his associates will continue.

Read more

ForbesTrump’s Cabinet: Pence speaks out against RFK Jr’s nomination for HHSBy means of Sarah Dorn
ForbesHow all of Trump’s criminal cases fell apart, while the hush money case has now been postponedBy means of Alison Durkee
ForbesCan Trump confirm nominees – like Gaetz and RFK Jr. – without a Senate? Break agreements, explainedBy means of Alison Durkee